Claire Thompson
There are several reasons why your chicken might have bare spots on its back. The most common cause is moulting, which is a natural process for chickens where they lose their feathers. This usually happens in early autumn, but it can also be triggered by changes in daylight hours or temperature. Another possible reason is feather pecking, either by other chickens or the chicken itself due to discomfort, stress, or boredom. In addition, parasites such as lice and mites can cause feather loss, and an uneven rooster-to-hen ratio may also contribute to bare spots on hens' backs.
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Mating and pecking order
Bare spots on a chicken's back can be caused by mating and pecking order.
Mating
During mating, a rooster will stand on the hen's back, holding onto the feathers at the back of her head to keep his balance. This can result in the hen having some feathers missing on her back, the tops of her wings, and the back of her head. While this is normal behaviour, if the rooster is causing injury to the hens, steps can be taken to protect them, such as providing chicken saddles or removing the rooster from the pen for a while to give the hens a break. It is recommended to have a ratio of 6 to 8 hens per rooster to prevent over-breeding, although some sources suggest a ratio of 10 to 12 hens per rooster.
Pecking Order
Pecking, also called picking, is usually the result of high stress levels in chickens. Insufficient space, insufficient protein, and boredom are common factors that can lead to chickens pecking at each other. When chickens are unhappy, they may pluck each other's feathers out, causing bare spots on their flockmates' backs or heads. To prevent this, ensure that your chickens have enough space, access to protein, and opportunities for free-ranging or other activities to keep them entertained, such as feed wreaths or heads of lettuce.
In addition to stress, chickens may also peck at each other due to bullying or pecking order establishment, especially when a new chicken is introduced to the flock. If you suspect bullying, you can try isolating the bullied chicken to give it time to recover and regrow its feathers.
It is important to note that chickens may also experience feather loss due to moulting, which is a natural process that occurs annually or more frequently due to changes in daylight hours or temperature.
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Lice and mites
To check for lice or mites, inspect your chicken's skin, particularly under the wings and around the vent. If you suspect an infestation, treat your chickens and add preventative measures to your homestead. Adding wood ash and diatomaceous earth (DE) to their dust bathing areas can help prevent lice and other external parasites. You can also treat the coop and your chickens with Elector PSP, though this option is pricey.
If your chickens are kept in a coop, ensure that it is clean and well-ventilated to prevent infestations. Regularly check your flock for parasites once a month and treat them if necessary.
In addition to causing feather loss, lice and mites can cause a range of other health issues in chickens, including skin irritation, reduced egg production, and black spots or scabs on the comb, the fleshy, red crest on top of a chicken's head.
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Poor nutrition
Chickens require a specific balance of nutrients, including proteins, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, to maintain good growth and maintenance of their feathers. An unbalanced diet can result in behavior problems such as excessive picking at their own preen gland, the feathers around it, and the feathers of other birds. Feeding chickens too many treats, snacks, or kitchen scraps can interfere with their daily nutritional requirements, causing aggression and problem picking behaviors.
During molting, chickens are likely to stop laying eggs as feather regrowth will take up all the available nutrients. Therefore, it is essential to support them through this difficult period with extra care and high-quality nutrition and supplementation. Nutritional supplementation of Biotin and other essential vitamins is key during molting to support them through their change into their new winter wardrobe.
To prevent nutritional deficiencies, it is recommended to provide a nutritionally complete feed that is appropriate for the age of the bird. It is also important to limit treats, snacks, and extras to 5% of their total daily diet or skip them entirely as chickens do not need them.
In addition to nutritional deficiencies, bare spots on a chicken's back can also be caused by mating behaviors, especially if the rooster is enormous. Roosters tend to become aggressive during the mating season and may peck at the hens' heads to assert dominance. This can result in bald spots on the hen's back where the rooster treads on her with his feet and the back of her comb where he grabs her with his beak for stability.
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Molting
Moulting is the process of a chicken losing its feathers, which is perfectly natural. A chicken's first moult occurs shortly after they hatch, and they will have two or three moults before they achieve their adult plumage. After this, they will moult once a year, usually in early autumn, although this can depend on the amount of daylight available. An early moult can be triggered by a sudden change in daylight hours or temperature. Typically, as the daylight hours shorten, a chicken's metabolic body clock changes, causing them to eat less and start to moult.
Some chickens will experience a gradual moult, replacing feathers progressively from head to tail, while others can experience a 'total feather-drop' and be almost completely naked, which can be alarming.
If your chicken has bare spots on its back, moulting is a likely cause. However, there are other reasons why this could be happening. One common cause is an infestation of parasites such as lice or mites. Chickens will preen themselves constantly to try and rid themselves of the parasites, causing feathers to become weak and fall out. Lice look like small sesame seeds, and mites are also small and infest the skin. You can treat your coop with Elector PSP, or provide dust boxes containing diatomaceous earth or kaolin clay, which will reduce ectoparasites by 80-100% after one week. You can also add wood ash and diatomaceous earth to their dust bathing areas.
Another cause of feather loss is feather pecking, where chickens pick and peck at each other. This could be due to boredom, dirtiness, or a bully in the group. If your chickens don't free-range, try giving them feed wreaths, heads of lettuce, and other things they can peck at to pass the time.
If you have a rooster, bare spots on hens' backs can be caused by overmating. In this case, you could separate your roosters and hens into mini-flocks, add more hens, or get rid of extra roosters.
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Overcrowding
If your chickens are overcrowded, they may also be more susceptible to parasites such as lice and mites, which can cause irritation and feather loss. Lice and mites often look like small black, red, or mustard-coloured dots. They can be treated with diatomaceous earth or pestene.
To prevent overcrowding, ensure that your chickens have ample room to roam and that their coop is not too small. You may need to consider upgrading to a larger coop or adding more space for your flock to move around.
In addition to space, providing enrichment and activities for your chickens can help prevent boredom and reduce the likelihood of feather pecking. For example, you can offer feed wreaths, heads of lettuce, or other items they can peck at to keep them entertained.
By addressing overcrowding and providing adequate space and enrichment, you can help reduce the risk of feather loss due to stress, boredom, and parasite infestation in your flock.
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Frequently asked questions
There are several reasons why your chicken may have bare spots on its back. The most common cause is moulting, which is the process of feathers being replaced. Another reason could be that your chicken has a parasite infestation, such as lice or mites, which can cause feather loss. Additionally, if you have a rooster, overmating can also lead to bare spots on hens' backs.
To treat bare spots caused by moulting, you can provide your chicken with a balanced diet that includes adequate amounts of protein, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals to promote feather growth. For parasite infestations, you can treat your chicken and their housing with Elector PSP, diatomaceous earth, or kaolin clay. You should also check your chicken for parasites regularly and treat them proactively with wood ash and diatomaceous earth.
To prevent bare spots, ensure that your chicken coop is clean and well-maintained. Maintain a balanced rooster-to-hen ratio to avoid overmating. Provide your chickens with entertainment and free-ranging time to reduce feather pecking due to boredom or aggression.
